MU Extension in Hickory County

Nominations are now being accepted for the January 2021 public election of Hickory County University of Missouri Extension Council members. Candidate recommendations may be made by contacting me at the Hickory County Extension Center, 417-745-6767 or emailing [email protected] prior to November 23, 2020. Nominees will then be contacted to secure their permission before being placed on the ballot. Nomination forms may be obtained by contacting the Hickory County Extensi...on Center. Council members are elected or appointed to two-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. Council candidates must be at least 18 years old and live in Hickory County. We are seeking people from all areas of the county who are interested in improving our county to serve on the Extension Council. In order to have an effective council in place, we need good candidates to run. The Hickory County Extension Council meets on the second Tuesday, every other month, typically at 6:00pm. We have multiple vacancies to be filled and we need individuals from all walks of life and professions who have a passion for helping to make Hickory County a better place - people in agriculture, business people, retirees, military, educators, parents, government employees, and more. People may think of us as ‘Farmers-and-4-H’, but we also want to help with Business and Economic Development, Nutrition and Healthy Living, nature and the outdoors, and other services important to Hickory Countians. If you know anyone who has those kinds of passions, we're looking for them.

Join us at our Osceola location for the 2020 Farm Tax Workshop. Learn what changes there are to tax law and how COVID-19 relief may effect your taxes this year. #2xAg2030 #ExtendMU #MUWCR #AgBusinessM

We still have a few openings for tomorrow's class! Grab a friend and come join us! Call 417-745-6767 by the end of the day today to register.

To apply, click the following link and search job number 34749: https://erecruit.umsystem.edu//HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_F

Hermitage, MO - November is now upon us and winter is here. Several frosts, some hard frosts, have come and gone. Most of the actively growing weed pressure has subsided. So, how did it go this year on your farm? Did you make strides to control or are you expecting a worse problem next year? Remember, weeds left unchecked will produce seeds and probably increase in density over time. This is commonly referred to as the seed bank. If you brush hog now, to clean thing up a bit,... you are going to spread those seeds, in the seed heads, everywhere. Many seeds can lay in and/or on the ground for several years waiting for the right growing conditions before sprouting. As we continue to eat our pastures into the ground, due to the fall drought and over stocked conditions, there will be more open spots in the pastures for the weeds to grow next spring. Looking out over several late cut hayfields, I see a lot of green cool-season fescue, which show little evidence of weed pressure. Do not let that mislead you. Just because you or someone else has baled them up and hauled them off does not mean they are really gone for good. In those bales are many weed seed heads. Watch where and how you feed those bales to reduce the spread of unwanted weeds on your farm. Drive around the field edges, look into the timber, observe the road ditches near your fields where the disc bind and/or brush hog did not go and observe the different types of weeds. This may give you a better understanding of what was out there before the hay was mowed/baled. So, the question is are you going to do something about it or just let it go for another year? Spraying this late in the year with a non-residual chemical, one which will stick around in the soil for a while, is risky as most plants are already dead. At this time of year, I really do not recommend any chemical weed control on a broad basis. So, maybe we should make plans now for those spring applications as we plan for success next season? Do your homework now. Talk with those that are using chemical controls and see what they say. Research the cost and reflect on the results. Try to identify what was growing. Maybe it might be worth your time and effort to try putting herbicide on with your spring fertilizers? What about a properly timed late spring, early summer, brush hogging to control winter annual weeds before they go to seed head? Maybe a new sprayer for the ATV? Whatever you chose to do, now would be the time to do your research, before it is too late, and the weeds are upon you. For more information on pasture plant identification, please contact your local MU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist. Wm Terry Halleran Regional Agronomy Field Specialist Phone: 417-745-6767 Email: [email protected]